Senior Dan Di Lella (12), left, is trying for the starting quarterback position on the UAlbany football team on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011, at UAlbany in Albany, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Senior Dan Di Lella (12), left, is trying for the starting quarterback position on the UAlbany football team on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011, at UAlbany in Albany, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Photo: Cindy Schultz

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Senior Dan Di Lella (12) is trying for the starting quarterback position on the UAlbany football team on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011, at UAlbany in Albany, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Senior Dan Di Lella (12) is trying for the starting quarterback position on the UAlbany football team on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011, at UAlbany in Albany, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Photo: Cindy Schultz

Image 13 of 17

UAlbany football running back Andrew Smith (10) takes a handoff from quarterback Dan DiLella during a spring scrimmage in Albany, N.Y., Saturday, April 9, 2011. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union) College Sports

UAlbany football running back Andrew Smith (10) takes a handoff from quarterback Dan DiLella during a spring scrimmage in Albany, N.Y., Saturday, April 9, 2011. (Hans Pennink / Special to the Times Union)

University at Albany quarterback Dan Di Lella spent a deflating weekend getting passed over in the NFL draft and then ignored by teams as an undrafted free agent.

He found out Monday he'll get an NFL tryout, even though it's a long shot.

The New York Jets invited Di Lella to their rookie mini-camp that begins Thursday at the team facility in Florham Park, N.J.

"It's the hand I got dealt and I've just got to make the best of it," Di Lella said. "I've got a chance to compete and just try and do the best I can there, and even if the Jets don't like what they see, hopefully another team sees that I was worth a shot to be brought in."

Di Lella doesn't have a contract with the Jets, though he hopes to land a spot in their training camp at SUNY Cortland this summer.

"It's no strings attached. It's a couple of days," Di Lella said of the tryout. "It's a little stressful, a little disappointing. I thought for sure I was going to have a couple of teams talking to me about signing as a free agent, and obviously, I didn't get those phone calls."

Di Lella, who comes from Neshanic Station, N.J., worked out for the Jets earlier this month in front of head coach Rex Ryan.

He's one of three rookie quarterbacks who will attend the mini-camp. Tulsa's G.J. Kinne signed a free-agent contract after the draft, while Tennessee's Matt Simms, son of former Giants quarterback Phil Simms, has also been invited on a tryout basis.

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Before the draft, ESPN's Todd McShay tweeted he'd heard Di Lella could be a late-round selection. Teams told Di Lella to keep his cellphone handy during the draft so they could reach him.

After he went unpicked, Di Lella and his agent, Brad Berkowitz, waited for phone calls that never came.

"I'm not surprised," Berkowitz said. "I'm shocked, as are everyone who's seen him throw."

Berkowitz said teams paid too much attention to UAlbany game tape from last season without noting the improvement that Di Lella has made under the tutelage of former Giants quarterback Scott Brunner in the off-season. Brunner had also worked with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

"I think the problem when you look at his (2011) film, he weighs like 210 and he doesn't have that strong arm," Berkowitz said. "His mechanics were bad. You have to see him in person. He's now 239, he's got a cannon of an arm, his footwork is almost flawless. He can make all the throws."

"After seeing some of the other quarterbacks sign, I feel like I definitely should have got a phone call," Di Lella. "But what are you going to do?"

While the odds may be against him, Di Lella said he hopes to give the Jets' coaches a difficult decision this week.

"I think it all comes down to going out there and putting on a good show and playing as well as I can," Di Lella said. "I think if I can play up to my ability, hopefully I'll give them something to think about."